The impact of Blockchain, AI, Mobile Money, Digital Wallets and Payment innovations are radically
transforming the financial services landscape as FinTech disruptors intensify the challenge to Incumbent
Banks in Africa and kickstart new growth opportunities

Johannesburg, South Africa: Africa’s financial services landscape continues its dynamic evolution as the rapid
growth of FinTech on the continent drives both the disruption and leapfrogging of legacy systems and further
accelerates the digital transformation of financial services. In South Africa, the major banks are rapidly ramping-up
their own innovation strategies and collaborating with new game-changing start-ups to drive efficiencies, make digital
profitable and capture new markets.

South Africa’s FinTech adoption rate is expected to experience a major leap over the next few years. EY’s annual
FinTech Adoption Index Report 2017 forecasted 71% growth, with the country ranking third in future growth behind
only China and India. There is a greater number of technology hubs in South Africa than any other country on
the continent and the country enjoys a more significant amount of national and international investment in the
sector. South Africa’s Reserve Bank has created a team dedicated to monitor the latest FinTech developments in
the key areas of payments, lending, deposit taking, investments and insurance, which will report directly to
the Deputy Governor. South Africa is clearly in the midst of one of the most exciting phases of innovation and
disruption in the financial sector.

The hugely successful events in our
Finnovation Africa
Series in Uganda and Ethiopia in 2017 saw more than 500
thought leaders, FinTech pioneers, bankers, investors and government policymakers representing the foremost
financial institutions from across the continent gather to address how FinTech can contribute to the positive
and profitable transformation of financial services in Africa. Against this dynamic backdrop,
Ethico Live! is
now excited to announce the expansion of the series with the launch of
Finnovation Africa: South Africa 2018,
which will be held on the 6th of June 2018 at the Radisson Blu Gautrain, Johannesburg. The event will seek to
harness the FinTech revolution to boost strategic economic priorities such as financial inclusion and deepening
– and how FinTech can make a positive and profitable difference in Africa.

With a focus on the most significant technologies driving the financial services paradigm shift, including
Blockchain, Banking & AI, Payments innovation, and Mobile Money & Digital Wallets, Finnovation Africa: South
Africa 2018 also features a number of innovative sessions such as The Wolves’ Den, Founder’s PainPoints,
Collaborate2Accelerate, Inside the Investor’s Mind, and live-on-stage interviews with international Finnovators
and African FinTech pioneers.

Speaking at the announcement of the launch of Finnovation Africa: South Africa 2018, David McLean, President
of Ethico Live, said that: “FinTech holds a particularly powerful promise for Africa especially as an enabler
of key strategic priorities and the impact of new disruptive financial technologies is well placed to be
genuinely socially useful, meaningfully improving how ordinary people engage with financial services and
therefore deliver broader-based positive economic outcomes across the continent. FinTech also sets the bar
higher for incumbent banks in terms of their own innovation agendas as the leading banks internationally and
in Africa seek to make digital pay and explore collaboration opportunities with FinTech trail-blazers. We
are very excited to be bringing Finnovation to the high-growth South African market and look forward to
progressing discussions on the digital transformation of financial services in Africa.”

Chris Principe, international FinTech thought leader, shared some persuasive insights while speaking on
the sidelines of the Finnovation Africa Series: “A very positive story, if one that is not yet well understood,
is unfolding in Africa. New technology, new ideas and new business models are producing new opportunities.
The distinctions between telecom services providers, payments services providers and financial institutions
are breaking down. In virtually all African countries, there are sufficient numbers of mobile phones which
are not necessarily smartphones - for previously unbanked people to have access to high quality financial
services at low cost. Innovative companies are using Blockchain technology and crypto-currencies to resolve
fundamental problems such as lack of access to electricity and lack of access to global financial markets.
Finnovation Africa highlights how FinTech is transforming Africa for the better, facilitating payments,
boosting financial inclusion and developing new enterprises. However, the Finnovation conference does much
more than that, as it engages key stakeholders to reveal how the entire world is changing. In many ways,
Africa is a FinTech leader, rather than a follower.”

Combining a highly innovative and interactive event format with world‐class speakers and more than 300
carefully selected participants,
Finnovation Africa: South Africa 2018
will take place at the Radisson Blu Gautrain, Johannesburg on the 6th of June 2018 and will tackle the most pressing questions for the progress
of FinTech in Africa, providing a platform for all stakeholders to engage in creating the future of ﬁnancial
services on the continent – from established banking powerhouses to FinTech start‐ups.

Ethico Live Limited is a UK registered company with its corporate headquarters at 110 Queen Street, Glasgow G1 3BX, UK.
Focused on the digital transformation of financial services and the role that FinTech is playing in driving positive and
profitable change in areas such as Payments Innovation, Blockchain, Mobile Money, Finclusion and Ethical Finance/Islamic
Banking, we serve our clients in the global financial markets with high-profile international conferences -
with a special focus on the exciting high-growth markets of Africa.